Signal-arm.



Patented Apr. I7, |900.

W. KEARTURLl SIGNAL ARM.

(Applicaion `tlhad June 10, 1899.)

'(No Model.)

` lavan/U@ Um? o@ 'Y rimes,

Barrena* lFVILFRED KEARTON, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

SlGNALA-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,568, dated April 17', 1900.

Application filed J'une IO, 1899. Serial No. 720,053. (No model.)

To @ZZ when@ t irl/:Ly concern:

Be it knownthat I, WILFRED Kanaren, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of lVayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in semaphore-arms for railway signaling, and is applicable to the construction of windmill and other vanes.

The common practice in semaphore-arm construction is to provide a Wooden arm which vis belted 'to the recessed side of an iron easting; but the weight of the wood in the swinging of the ar1n gives it such a momentum as to work it loose at the bolt-fastenings, and the decay induced by the gathering of moisture at the end of attachment of the blade greatly increases the destructive tendency. Another serieus objection to the use of wood is the scarcity of the right kind of material, andas the supply is yearly decreasing the cost, which is new high, must continue to increase.

The object of this invention is to provide a metal arm which will be stronger in every way than the wooden arm, lighter in weight, more durable, and less expensive as to first cost and also less expensive to maintain.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a semaphorepost with my invention applied; Fig. 2, a side elevation of my invention on a larger scale than that of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the dotted line i5 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a detail in perspective of the end of the casting to which the metal arm is attached.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A represents the semaphore-post; B, the counterbalanee-arm, which is pivoted at b to the post and has the usual upanddown rod h, connecting with the bell-crank and its operating mechanism at the base (not shown) of usual construction. The arm B is of usual to receive the latter.

in the end B2 of the counterbalanoe-arm B correspond in size and shape with the corru gations of the arm C.

The arm C will be of the saine general outline and size as the wooden arms now in common use, and will consist of a longitudinallycorrugated plate of sheet metal, preferably sheet-iron. The corrugations may be angular in cross-section, as shown, or of any usual and well-known pattern, it not being desired to limit the invention to the shape nor size of the corrugations.

D are stiifening-bars which are seated in the corrugations of the arm C, and lying on top of them are the transverse plates E. rllhe plates E, bars D, and arm C are held together and united with the end B2 by the bolts f.

The drawings show three stiffening-bars D, one for each alternate corrugation; but, if desired, a greater number of bars,fas one for each corrngation, might be used, or the number might be less than three, the whole 0bject being to provide a suiiieient number to thoroughly stiften and strengthen the arm C. The lengths of these arms may also vary from the lengths shown in the drawings, and, if desired, the ridged parts ,h2 of the end B2 may be extended on the other side of the arm C from the bars D to likewise stiffen the arm C. In practice, however, I have found the construction as shown in the drawings to give satisfactory results.

In order to more thoroughly brace the metal arm C in the corrugated seat provided for it in the arm B2, I make the two outside flanges c c approximately at right angles to the plane of the plate G as a whole, and make corresponding seats b3 in the plate B2 to receive them. The intermediate surfaces of the corrugations are oblique to an edgewise strain on the arm C, tending to permit the plate to slide edgewise; but the rightangled outside flanges provide a positive stop to prevent such sliding movement or tendency.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a semaphore, a longitudinally-corrugated sheet-metal arm having tapering corrugations to give a taper to the arm, substantially as shown.

IOO

2. In a semaphore, the combination with a longitudinally-corrugated tapering sheetmetal arm of a correspondingly-corrugated seat to receive it, substantially as described and specified.

3. The combination of a longitudinallycorrugated sheet-metal arm, a corrugated seat to receive it and stiffening-bars seated in the corrugations of the arm, substantially as described and shown.

4. A longitudinally-corri] gated arm having stiffening-bars seated in its corrugations, substantially as described and shown.

5. The combination of a longitudinallycorrugated arm having outside flanges at right angles with the plane of the arrn and a corrugated seat having corrugations to t all of the corrugations of the arm, substantially as described and shown.

HLFRED KEARTON. [L

Vitnesses:

J. A. MINTURN, CHAs. FAILLES. 

